To understand autism, don’t look away

Carina Morillo shares her story as the mother of a son with autism through a TedTalk. The video is in Spanish with English subtitles; a transcript in English and Spanish is available as well. Morillo’s 15 year old son, Ivan, was diagnosed when he was two and a half and at that time, his parents did not have access to internet information or expert advice about autism. Morillo describes how she learned to connect with her son through activities he enjoyed and how she learned to appreciate and build upon his strengths, such as a strong visual memory, which became a basis for his communication through images. She describes support from a local grocer who gave her son a job that utilizes his passion for organizing items. Her message is that one does not need to be an expert to be curious and inclusive.

Eye contact is a part of the story and a metaphor for inclusion; some autistics might point out that insisting on eye contact can be distracting, even painful. However, the larger point of the story emphasizes valuing autistic abilities and working with their interests to create connection. This story can prompt a discussion that may challenge stereotypes about autism and expert systems of medicalization and treatment.

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